Patient Perspective on Counterfeit Medications by Scott Williams, Men's Health Network

P R E S E N TAT I O N SPAT I E N T P E R S P E C T I V E O NC O U N T E R F E I T M E D I C AT I O N SS C OT T T. W I L L I A M S , M PAVICE PRESIDENTM E N ’ S H E A LT H N E T W O R KSEPTEMBER 28, 2012N AT I O N A L P R E S S C L U BWWW.SAFEMEDICINES.ORG

“Patient Perspective on Counterfeit Medications” Partnership for Safe Medicines Interchange 2012 Scott T. Williams, MPA Vice President Men’s Health Network September 28, 2012 2

Men’s Health Network• Mens Health Network (MHN) is a national DC based non-profit organization, founded in 1992, whose mission is to reach men and their families where they live, work, play, and pray with health prevention messages and tools, screening programs, educational materials, advocacy opportunities, and patient navigation.• Reach Men and Their Families - Live, Work, Play, and Pray – Men at Work (45 + large corporate employers) – Healthy Sunday (minority and underserved men and families) – Community Health Centers, etc. – Sports/Entertainment Franchises (NFL, NBA, PGA, etc.) 3

Million Dollar Question(s)• How many of you receive daily emails about places to go online to order Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra?• How many clickable links to solutions and treatments for the most common men’s health concerns are you exposed to online monthly? 4

The ProblemHow many of them ARE providing access to AUTHENTIC and SAFE medications for men, women, and families? 40,000 websites peddle alleged prescription drugs, but studies have shown that up to 95% of these websites are illegitimate and unsafe 5

September 5, 2012 Article• An analysis of pills from 22 different websites claiming to sell drugs such as Viagra and Cialis found 77 percent of samples were fake• They contained only 30 to 50 percent of the active ingredient advertised on the label.• Many of the counterfeit drugs also contained undeclared substances such as gypsum, found in fertilizer, commercial paint and printer ink 6

What’s Been Happening?• Man from Wichita, Kansas died from an accidental overdose of drugs he got from an online drug seller• An ER doctor from Texas suffered a stroke from a counterfeit diet medication that was purchased online• FDA reports nearly 400 convictions of criminals selling illegal pharmaceuticals in the last 5 years• One in six Americans have purchased drugs from an illegal or unverified online pharmacy 7

Why Does This Matter?• Guys have enough challenges when it comes to their health already – Men are 100% less likely to seek preventive healthcare (NCHS, 2001) – Men lead in 9 out of the top 10 causes of death (NCHS, 2009) – 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women in their lifetime will be diagnosed with cancer (ACS, 2011) – Men are living 5 years less than their female counterparts (CDC, 2010) 8

Our Goal• Help patients, caregivers, and families understand the dangers of counterfeit and unsafe medicines• Empower patients to do some research, get a prescription from their healthcare providers and only buy from a Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS)• Rally together as advocates and partners to combat this global public health threat. 9

PSM-MHN Infographic – June 2012 10

What’s Worked• Multidisciplinary approach – Providers, public health, patient advocates, etc.• Involve like-minded organizations• Non-traditional partners – Veterans, seniors, unions, etc.• One Voice Against Cancer Model – Speak with one “united” voice 11

Call to Action• Engage our grassroots• Mobilize our volunteers• Make the Ask! – NO! Is just the beginning of a conversation• Leveraging our contacts• Coordinate and effectively manage scarce resources 12

Together we can eliminate this problem!!! 13

Contact Me: Scott T. Williams, MPA Vice President Mens Health Network Office: 202-543-6461 ext. 103scott@menshealthnetwork.org 14

Patient Perspective on Counterfeit Medications by Scott Williams, Men's Health Network

by The Partnership For Safe Medicines on Sep 27, 2012

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Patient Perspective on Counterfeit Medications by Scott Williams, Men’s Health Network Presentation Transcript